This is to notify you that the above deadlines have been set for you to file comments in response to the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement provisions of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) related to access to emergency information by

people who are blind or visually impaired and video description. This NPRM was first released to the public on

November 19, 2012.

The FCC asks for public comment on its proposal to make televised emergency information that is conveyed visually (such as through an on-screen text crawl) more accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired by requiring the use of a secondary audio stream to provide that emergency information

aurally. Comment is also sought on the FCC’s proposal to limit the scope of the new rules to television broadcast services and multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) services, and not to Internet- delivered video programming.

The FCC also asks for public comment on how to ensure that television apparatus are able to make video description available and emergency information accessible to individuals who are blind or visually

impaired. In addition, the FCC seeks comment on its proposal to limit the scope of the new rules to apparatus designed to receive, play back, or record television broadcast or MVPD services.

On November 28, 2012, the Media Bureau released a Public Notice announcing the comment deadlines of December 18th for initial comments and December 28th for replies. Comment filing instructions are provided in the NPRM.